There is a famous phrase, attributed to the Sufi tradition: Be in the world but not of it… The sentiment refers to how an individual views their life, and also
Category: mystery school
Nine Keys (6): An uprising of SelfNine Keys (6): An uprising of Self
Our soul – likened here last week to a giant sail – is not the only occupant of our ‘interior’. At the fundamental level of our consciousness is a foundation
Long and winding roadLong and winding road
(Above: passing through the Cumbrian village of Skelsmergh) The small village of Skelsmergh lies at the end of one of the long, twisty lanes that follow the valley of the
One god of twoOne god of two
One god of two, she chooses From the young faces at the bar While he, her husband? To be or not… Long, lean and known to her every wish Smiles
mind: mover of the soul (4) where is the world?mind: mover of the soul (4) where is the world?
Where is the world? Is this a fair question to ask ourselves or some pointless intellectual game? A friend sent me a beautiful piece of writing, created by a Kabbalist
The Mystery of the Soul-ChildThe Mystery of the Soul-Child
One of the most enigmatic mysteries in spirituality is the idea of a ‘soul-child’ – the finding within us of a spiritual figure whose characteristics are those of purity and
potential of tomorrowpotential of tomorrow
Who knows which way-less-taken lies beyond the stile The openings of now, unnumbered, mapped in dew Unfamiliar potentials – whispers in the icy wind, Cry ‘untrod, unheard’ alone in wandering
Autumn and Arnside pastelsAutumn and Arnside pastels
At first glance, it has something of the ziggurat about it. In reality it’s the final bit of Arnside’s Victorian pier, taken from a short distance back in order to
blood, gold and silverblood, gold and silver
©Stephen Tanham 2021 Stephen Tanham is a Director of the Silent Eye, a journey through the forest of personality to the dawn of Being. http://www.thesilenteye.co.uk and http://www.suningemini.blog
sweet soup and pot dogssweet soup and pot dogs
I usually do serious posts on this Thursday slot. They are generally aimed at the Silent Eye audience, so involve mystical perspectives on some of life’s challenges. But sometimes one’s
Rotating HopeRotating Hope
As a Captain in a blackened stormScans a ravaged horizonTo find rotating hope:Not only where but whoThe ship, by edge of darknessLocates the world beyond the seaSo we, with storm
The Mysterious Road to Tain (4 – End) : a simple manThe Mysterious Road to Tain (4 – End) : a simple man
The young missionary – a peregrini, meaning one on a life-pilgrimage – wore two crosses; but not around his neck nor on his simple, woven robe. The Celtic designs were
The Mysterious Road to Tain (3) : the protectorsThe Mysterious Road to Tain (3) : the protectors
“Saints don’t just disappear!” Bernie was getting a little exasperated with my poor attempt at stringing together a viable theory to account for the cultural disappearance of St Duthac. “There’s
The Mysterious Road to Tain (2) : the Demi-god of RossThe Mysterious Road to Tain (2) : the Demi-god of Ross
“You’d have thought they would have looked after it, better!’ Bernie can be highly critical on these occasions. Mind you, we had trudged all the way around the small town
Through a hole clearly: the Legend of Sallow KennethThrough a hole clearly: the Legend of Sallow Kenneth
We were looking for dolphins… Between Rosemarkie and Fortrose, on the shores of the Black Isle, north of Inverness, there is a promontory named Channonry Point. It projects out into
The Mysterious Road to Tain (1)The Mysterious Road to Tain (1)
“There’s a little known saint with some strange royal connections…” mused Bernie, my wife. “He has a pilgrimage centre near where we’re going today.” she said. “Want to see it?”
The Shifting Stones of StonehengeThe Shifting Stones of Stonehenge
Not to be outdone by the recent discoveries on Orkney, Stonehenge – one of the world’s most famous stone circles – has thrown up a whole new story about its
Fog and marzipanFog and marzipan
It’s a chilly, drab kind of morning at present, I wondered what it would bring once the sun came up to show us the day. The question was soon answered.
The City and the Stars – revisited – Britain’s oldest stone circle…The City and the Stars – revisited – Britain’s oldest stone circle…
New evidence from the past two years’ work on Orkney has revealed breathtaking perspectives on the nature and importance of the finds at the Ness of Brodgar… (1000 words, a
The City and the Stars (6) : the twice-chosenThe City and the Stars (6) : the twice-chosen
To build something so sophisticated, so designed, as the Maeshowe Chambered ‘tomb’, would have required enormous dedication from the people of Orkney. Seen alongside the emerging splendour of the Ness
The City and the Stars (5) – Structure 10: pyramidThe City and the Stars (5) – Structure 10: pyramid
The more the Orkney archeologists uncover, the more it is certain that the settlement on the Ness of Brodgar was the hub of a dynamically influential and spiritual society, 5000
The City and the Stars (4) – The Ring of BrodgarThe City and the Stars (4) – The Ring of Brodgar
You turn to take in the landscape… This magnificent place, where the natural features are as spectacular as the Neolithic discoveries, lies between two lochs surrounded by a natural amphitheatre.
The City and the Stars (3) – The City on the NessThe City and the Stars (3) – The City on the Ness
A ten-minute journey from Stromness, on Orkney, lies an ‘isthmus’ which recent excavations have shown to contain one of the richest archeological concentrations in the world… It is nothing less
The City and the Stars (2) – Skara Brae’s Ancient HousesThe City and the Stars (2) – Skara Brae’s Ancient Houses
Skara Brae’s modern story began in 1850 when a violent sea-storm tore off the layers of grass, sand and soil that had covered what appeared to be two ancient and
The City and the Stars (1) – Skara BraeThe City and the Stars (1) – Skara Brae
With the Pictish Trail weekend a long car journey and a boat ride behind us, we had awakened in Stromness to the early morning of an overcast Orkney day –